The invention relates to a method for generation of a three-dimensional terrain model with the assistance of object-oriented vector data, which contains position values which indicate at least the cartographic position of support points which describe the terrain and height values which indicate their height or depth with respect to a reference level.
Various methods are known for generation of three-dimensional terrain models for a 3D terrain representation and evaluation, and are all based on information in electronic form about the geographical area. Known forms of such information are grid data, object-oriented vector data and matrix data. Grid data contains pixel information in the form of a grid, object-oriented vector data contains information relating to object-specific characteristics such as the geological character of the seabed, and three-dimensional information relating to objects such as the geographical coordinates of a wreck, in a form distributed non-uniformly over the terrain in three dimensions, and matrix data contains, inter alia, information relating to terrain heights or depths in a form distributed regularly over the terrain.
This data is obtained by suitable surveying of the terrain surface or of the seabed, with the measurement points being chosen such that terrain shapes, such as summits, depressions, ridges, valleys, fault lines, contour gradients and particular objects such as roads, waterways and buildings are optimally recorded. In addition, object types and characteristics are also recorded. Terrain models are generated from data such as this using known methods as a largely automatic, interactive process with human monitoring, also including quality control of the measurement data. In this case, either regular models are produced, in which support points which are predetermined by the data are distributed uniformly (matrix data) and further model points are generated by interpolation in the grid, or irregular models are produced, in which the support points are distributed non-uniformly and further model information is produced, for example by triangular networking according to Delauny (Bartelme, Geoinformatik [Geoinformation], Springer, Berlin 1995, page 117 et seq.)
In tactical systems, in which extensive terrain analyses are carried out, regular terrain models are generally used, which are supplied externally to these systems. If representations relating to the topography (road course, position of towns, etc.) are also intended to be provided on these systems, maps in the form of grid-oriented or object-oriented electronic maps must also be incorporated in the system, in addition to the terrain model, for this purpose.